


Here to Cheer

by Jemppu



Series: Honey Mushroom [28]
Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Art, Culmets - Freeform, M/M, Tumblr, famart, honey mushroom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:34:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23836957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jemppu/pseuds/Jemppu
Summary: Part of"Honey Mushroom"series of illustrated Culmets momentslisted here on tumblr.Snippet on Paul appearing in the Disco crew shirt. Inspired by Anthony's Star Trek Las Vegas Disco-shirt group shot appearance in 2018.With illustration:"Disco Couple".
Relationships: Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets
Series: Honey Mushroom [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1080993
Kudos: 12





	Here to Cheer

**Author's Note:**

> The series gets released quite out of order, as inspiration dictates, so I urge you to check out the [series list on tumblr](https://tinyurl.com/honeyshroom) for a better picture of the whole.

## 

## Here to Cheer 

Paul walks apprehensively into the hangar bay and takes a look around. The place is filled with crew, but not the usual uniformed and jumpsuit wearing kind. No, these people are all in athletic gear, and every one of them clad in the same dark navy blue shirt, with the word _“Disco”_ obnoxiously branded on front. The same damn shirt Paul finds himself currently wearing. Not because he’d care to, but he had promised.

And there, amidst the crowd, stands the man, who he had made the promise to. Paul saunters down the entry ramp, trying not to attract too much attention to himself from the crowds around.  
  
Hugh is standing in the company of two fellow officers, all in the same shirts as well. It’s impossible to tell anyone’s department or rank, dressed as they are, but Paul is pretty sure he recalls these two being of Hugh’s medic team. Or at least someones he’s seen hang around Hugh regularly. Which narrows it down to about half the ship perhaps, Paul muses in his head.  
  
As he approaches he slows his pace further to allow Hugh the time to notice him from a safe distance away. And the man does, flashing a particularly shining, delighted smile. No doubt in response to Paul’s current, unusual getup.  
  
Hugh then does exactly what Paul was wishing for: breaks away from the conversation and walks over to greet him. Paul finds himself grateful for how well the man knows him: he’s aware Paul does not care for group conversations, let alone to walk in on one among strangers .  
  
“Mushroom!” Hugh chimes delighted, with this curious pet name the man has seen fit to bestow upon Paul recently - luckily, it doesn’t appear like anyone else heard it. The doctor is sporting the widest of smiles, while carefully scanning Paul up and down, “what took you so long? We are just about to start”.  
  
“I had to replicate one of these dang rags”, Paul pulls the hem of his shirt.  
  
“I left you one ready on the bed, didn’t you see it?” Hugh replies, carefully reaching to play with the sleeve of the T-shirt.  
  
“It was a size too small”.  
  
“It was **your** size”, Hugh assures he got that right, “of course it’s too small, if you wear it like **this** ”, the doctor then addresses the way Paul has chosen to wear a dress shirt under the T-shirt, “What is this? Self expression?”  
  
The dress shirt is a nice reminder of the ‘real Paul’ though - Hugh thinks - of the man outside the uniform - the civilian, whom Hugh had originally gotten to know and who he hasn’t really had the opportunity to see out and about like this since boarding the ship _(‘the civilian” does loiter around their quarters though, but in much more casual states)_.  
  
“I guess. If you want to call it that”, Paul scoffs. He himself would call it dressing comfortably. “You don’t think it’s fine?” he asks, mindful that this whole thing is for Hugh’s request after all, “You know I don’t care for these skintight Starfleet numbers”.  
  
Paul had actually considered a sweater - it would’ve served nicely here with the chill of the space outside radiating through the forcefield protecting the wide open hangar -, but decided, that covering the T-shirt would rather defeat it’s supposed team building purpose. And be far too casual to appear in in front of the crew anyway.  
  
“No, it’s okay”, Hugh admires, “it looks mighty fine. Very… you”.  
  
“I look _“mighty fine”_?“  
  
“You know you do”, Hugh replies flirtatiously.  
  
“I know this?” Paul smirks back, “If I do, it’s only by what you keep telling me”.  
  
Hugh chuckles and attempts to lean in for a kiss. Only to have Paul step back a bit.  
  
“Please”, Paul’s hand rests against the doctor’s chest, “haven’t we discussed this?”  
  
Paul really doesn’t care for public displays of affection on duty.  
  
“Come on”, Hugh rolls his eyes with a smile, “everybody here is off the clock”.  
  
“Off the clock or not, it’s still in front of the crew”, Paul insists.  
  
Hugh lets out a little sympathetic laugh for his Honey Mushroom’s resilient uptightness, “Alright, alright. I’m just glad you came at all”.  
  
“And dressed for the occasion”, he adds gleefully.  
  
“I’m here only to cheer”, Paul feels like he must remind the man not to get too excited for this.  
  
Since he promised. Seems rather a waste of time though.  
  
“I know, Mushroom”, Hugh keeps smiling, as he pats the man on his back, “thank you”.  
  
“So”, Paul then eases his stance, resting his hands on his hips and taking a general look around the scene, trying to act casual. As casual as possible for him in these unusual circumstances anyway, “who are you racing against?”  
  
That’s what this was, right? Hugh’s department’s sporting team’s race.  
  
“Really? Can’t you tell?” Hugh looks surprised.  
  
Paul only just then takes a proper glance of the people stretching and milling about. Though not uniformed as usual, the faces sure seem familiar.  
  
“Wait a second”, Paul’s brows furrow upon the realization, “you’re running against our department?”  
  
Paul wouldn’t have known of course: he takes no part or interest in such off-the-clock sporting activities and certainly makes no effort to get to personally know his Starfleet assigned ‘staff’, opting to keeping himself a good professional distance away.  
  
“It did seem odd, how you’d want to drag me along to one of these rallies all of a sudden”, Paul mumbles, “I can now see why”.  
  
This is clearly Hugh’s effort to try and to get Paul involved - to socialize with his new fellow crew members. But as their senior officer too, Paul sees no need for him to cozy up with his ‘underlings’.  
  
“Who am I to cheer for here exactly?” Paul then ponders, “you are putting me in a very odd position with this”.  
  
“What?” Hugh chuckles, “not for your own team?”.  
  
“I came expecting to support you”, Paul seems disappointed, “I don’t know these people; why would I side with them?”  
  
“Well, of course you support who you choose, but it’s your team”, Hugh rolls his eyes, “or are you just siding with the obvious winners here - afraid we are gonna kick your butt?”  
  
“Oh, is that how this is gonna be?” Paul’s assured retort comes out quickly even to him himself. “Fine, bring it on! I’ll be glad to see these kids beat your geriatric ass with their youthful vigor!” he declares smirking.  
  
Hugh just chucks, gives Paul a nudge, and turns to join his team huddling together in the distance.  
  
Paul finds himself standing there among several other similarly dressed stray individuals gathering around to watch the event.  
  
He is surprised to notice how Hugh’s remark suddenly awakened his competitive side like that. He shouldn’t **have** a competitive side for any of this. For advancing the sciences behind mushroom powered propulsion, yes, but for **sports**? Fuck all he cares about sports.  
  
Yet, here he is: excited to see how this turns out, as he finds himself still secretly rooting for Hugh. Like these kids could really beat his able-bodied Darling.  
  
Guess, who ever wins here, Paul would have a reason to feel some pride. Well planned, Dear Doctor, well planned.

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts on the work posted along with the illustration on [**tumblr**](https://jmalkki.tumblr.com/post/176733137614/disco-couple-inspiration-makes-me-deviate-from).
> 
> _Likes, shares, comments and what have you, all appreciated on:_  
>  _[ **tumblr**](http://jmalkki.tumblr.com/) | [**twitter**](https://twitter.com/Jemppu) | [**instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/jeminamalkki/) | [**DeviantArt**](https://www.deviantart.com/jemppu)_


End file.
